KABUL: Fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, who last played an ODI in January 2021, has been called up by Afghanistan for the 2023 ODI World Cup, which starts in India next month. In January last year, Naveen had said he was taking a break from ODIs and has not been picked in Afghanistan’s 50-over squads since. Now though, he will form a part of their pace attack along with Fazalhaq Farooqi, Abdul Rahman and allrounder Azmatullah Omarzai. Omarzai, who suffered a side strain during Afghanistan’s ODI series against Pakistan in August, is back in the team after missing the Asia Cup.
Rashid Khan will spearhead a strong spin attack that comprises Mohammad Nabi, Mujeeb Ur Rahman and Noor Ahmad. Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Ibrahim Zadran and Rahmat Shah form their top order, with captain Hashmatullah Shahidi set to slot in at No. 4. Najibullah Zadran will also shore up the middle order. Allrounders Gulbadin Naib and Sharafuddin Ashraf, who were part of Afghanistan’s Asia Cup squad, have been named as reserves, along with Fareed Ahmad who was part of the series against Pakistan. Karim Janat and Mohammad Saleem are the two players from the Asia Cup who have been dropped altogether from Afghanistan’s World Cup squad. Afghanistan will begin their World Cup campaign on October 7 against Bangladesh in Dharamsala. They have two warm-up fixtures before that, against South Africa in Thiruvananthapuram on September 29 and then against Sri Lanka in Guwahati on October 3.
Afghanistan squad:
Hashmatullah Shahidi, Ibrahim Zadran, Rahmanullah Gurbaz, Rahmat Shah, Riaz Hassan, Najibullah Zadran, Mohammad Nabi, Ikram Alikhil,Azmatullah Omarzai, Rashid Khan, Abdul Rahman, Noor Ahmad, Mujeeb Ur Rahman, Fazalhaq Farooqi, Naveen-Ul-Haq.
Reserves: Gulbadin Naib, Sharafuddin Ashraf, Fareed Ahmad.